Born December 4, 1830, on a farm, where he grew to manhood and was trained to hard work from his earliest years. He had no great educational advantages, as the only schooling he had was obtained at the common district school, which at that time was none too good. But he secured the rudiments here, adding much to his store of knowledge by habits of study and observation in after life. At twenty he began working out as a farm hand, receiving as wages the sum of twelve dollars per month. Mr. Shepardson came to Iowa in 1862 from Illinois. He settled on a farm near Marble Rock. His means were pretty limited just at this time, and for a time he lived in a log house with a sod roof. He continued to farm for twelve years and was prosperous and successful. In 1874 he left the farm and moved to the town of Marble Rock, where he was one of the leading organizers of the bank, of which he has been president ever since. He spent the winters either in the South or in California, where he owns an orange orchard of thirty acres. Mr. Shepardson has always been a republican, having voted the ticket ever since the organization of the party in 1856. He has held numerous local offices, such as justice of the peace and county supervisor, and in 1876 represented his district in the lower house of the Sixteenth General Assembly of Iowa. Mr. Shepardson was married to Miss Julia D. Bucklen July 22, 1860, and they had two children.